1989 Edition

Climate

tropical; modified by northeast trade winds

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

364 km

2,254 km

Comparative area

slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Environment

Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

typhoons most frequent from November to March

Exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

14 km with Guadeloupe

none

Land use

8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other

NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Note

consists of two island groups — Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north

located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

coastal plains with interior mountains

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

1 2 nm

Total area

960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2

Birth rate

18 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

24 births/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Death rate

5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

7 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental

Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%

Infant mortality rate

9 deaths/ 1 ,000 live births (1990)

39 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)

50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980est.)

Language

Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish

French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 79 years female (1990)

64 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Literacy

95%

Nationality

noun — Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective — Netherlands Antillean

noun — New Caledonian(s); adjective — New Caledonian

Net migration rate

— 1 1 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

— 7 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

60-70% of labor force

NA

Population

183,503 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)

153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)

Religion

predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other

Total fertility rate

2.0 children born/ woman (1990)

3.0 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Dutch realm)

none (overseas territory of France)

Capital

Willemstad

Noumea

Communists

small leftist groups

Constitution

29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Diplomatic representation

as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands; US — Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at St. Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 6 13066

Elections

Parliament — last held on 22 November 1 985 (next to be held November 1989); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DPBonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1, UPB 1, WIPM 1; note— the government of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is a coalition of several parties

Territorial Congress — last held NA June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, others 5; French Senate — last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (1 total) RPCR 1;

Executive branch

Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)

Flag

white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white fivepointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curasao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

Independence

none (part of the Dutch realm)

none (overseas territory of France); note — a referendum on independence will be held in 1998 (there will be a review of the issue in 1992)

Judicial branch

Joint High Court of Justice

Court of Appeal

Leaders

Chief of State — Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989); Head of Government — Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985) Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island: Curaqao — National People's Party (NVP), Maria Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustus Diaz; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Socialist Independent (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte; Bonaire — New Force, Rudy Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) Abraham; Sint Maarten — Democratic Party of Sint Maarten, Claude Wathey; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet; Sint Eustatius — Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius, Albert K. Van Putten; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric Henriquez; Saba — Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will Johnston; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon Hassell; Saba Unity Party, Carmen Simmonds

Chief of State — President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)

Legal system

based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law

Legislative branch

Parliament (Staten)

unicameral Territorial Assembly

Long-form name

none

Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

Member of

EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the Netherlands; UPU, WMO

National holiday

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties

white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme right; Caledonian Separatist Front, extreme left

Suffrage

universal at age 18

universal adult at age NA

Type

part of the Dutch realm — full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

overseas territory of France

Agriculture

hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products — aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (197079), $353 million

Budget

revenues $180 million; expenditures $289 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)

Currency

Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural — guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents

Electricity

125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1— 1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— petroleum products 98%; partners—US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%

External debt

$701.2 million (December 1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)

Imports

$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures; partners — Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.0% (1988)

Overview

Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a comparatively high per capita income and a welldeveloped infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier. The economy has suffered somewhat in recent years because of the depressed state of the world oil market and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to the islands. As a result of a decline in tax revenues, the government has been seeking financial support from the Netherlands.

Unemployment rate

26.0% (1988)

Airports

28 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

Branches

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy/ Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force

Civil air

98 major transport aircraft

5 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

2.9% of GDP, or $6.0 billion (1989 est.) Islands not shown in true geograph/cat position Caribbean Sea Sin/ Maarten I +£, Philiptburo"1 Sfbt Sint Eustatius Sabana WILLEMSTAD See rrfioiul map HI KralendijE Bonaire

Highways

108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone

950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth

Inland waterways

6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger

Merchant marine

345 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 2,661,822 CRT/ 3,732,282 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 1 87 cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction largeload carrier, 1 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 1 1 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 1 combination ore/oil, 9 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note — many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register

52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 1 9 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/ roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note — all but a few are foreign owned Netherlands Antilles (continued)

Military manpower

males 15-49, 4,134,006; 3,660,048 fit for military service; 1 1 1 ,948 reach military age (20) annually

Military Manpower

males 15-49 49,299; 27,888 fit for military service; 1,678 reach military age (20) annually

Note

defense is responsibility of the Netherlands New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) 150fcm Coral Sea lies Loyaute Coral Sea Sre rrgionil map \ I/O des Pins Islands of Huon and Chesterfield are not shown

Pipelines

418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas

Ports

maritime — Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland — 29 ports

Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk

Railroads

3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track; 2,87 1 km 1 .435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS); 166 km privately owned

Telecommunications

highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations — 6 AM, 20 (32 repeaters) FM, 21 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems Defense Forces

generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio relay links; stations— 9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations Defense Forces